1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a junction box applicable to automotive vehicles, and more particularly to a junction box for distributing electrical power to loads of an automotive vehicle through semiconductor switching devices in a manner which is controllable and adaptable to the loads.
2. Background Art
Junction boxes are used in automotive vehicles to electrically connect different electrical devices, components, and circuits in order to carry out a suitable distribution of electrical power through fuses and switching devices such as relays. A limitation that junction boxes had, and which some still have, was that they were designed for specific applications existing in the vehicle in which they were to be assembled. As such, they lacked flexibility and could only be used for the vehicle in which they were to be assembled.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,280,253 attempts to solve such limitation by proposing a junction box that can be used for a wide variety of vehicles. To that end, the '253 patent proposes a matrix of terminals mechanically configurable in a selective manner in order to adapt the box to the desired vehicle by means of the union or separation of the terminals. The adaptability achieved by means of the proposal involves the use of elements external to the box, as well as the need for an operator or machine to mechanically configure the desired electrical scheme from the matrix of terminals in the assembly process. The '253 patent simply refers to connecting or disconnecting terminals but not to the use of another type of electrical or electronic components.
With the advancement of semiconductor technology, the next developmental step applied to junction boxes was the replacement of traditional electromechanical relays with semiconductor devices. Such advancement is reflected in U.S. Pat. No. 6,693,370, which relates to a junction box replacing the electromechanical relays with semiconductor devices (such as FET, IGBT, and GTO transistors, etc.). The '370 patent proposes the use of a control board to control the switching of the semiconductor devices.
Although the '370 patent uses the advancement in semiconductor technology, such use is in a very early phase because fuses, which must be accessible for their replacement, are still used in the proposed box. Further, the '370 patent only refers to a fairly basic control of the transistors (which are only power transistors), centered only in the actuation or deactuation thereof. The '370 patent does not refer to the adaptability of the proposed box to different types of vehicles.
JP 2002-051439 A brings together the advantages of the '253 and '370 patents, i.e., adaptability of the junction boxes to different vehicles and the replacement of traditional electromechanical relays with semiconductor devices. JP '051439 achieves the adaptability for different vehicles and specifications, not mechanically as in the background discussed above, but by selectively connecting or disconnecting the semiconductor devices included in the box. To that end, JP '051439 proposes the inclusion of a control table for the semiconductor devices, arranged in a control unit (ECU) and which can be varied and configured in advance so as to adapt it to the specific vehicle where the junction box will be assembled.
The table only refers to the activation or deactivation of the semiconductor devices according to the vehicle in which it will be assembled, i.e., the number of loads it will support. JP '051439 does not propose a more elaborate control thereof, nor does it take into account more information referring to the loads other than the number of the loads. JP '051439 does not contemplate the possibility of modifying the control table once the box is installed in an automotive vehicle, which is programmed in advance during the manufacturing process thereof.